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NOVA

3 (23.1%)

NOVA?

3 (23.1%)

NOVA!

3 (23.1%)

?

4 (30.8%)

Total Members Voted: 9

[ratcityrex]

Right on!!! Rhmt........

[turbohf]

I bought this





1996'ish Ford Explorer V8 8.8" 31spline Trac-Loc 3.73 gears... looks like its got just about everything including shit I don't care about.

its got parking cables, so I guess I will need to figure out how to get them to work. brakes are good condition.

its missing the axle flange, so I will probably try and get one while I'm at the junkyard pulling another short axle.

oh, this was $150 off CL. so my lazy ass didn't need to pull it at the JY in the cold mud


oh question: does the axle I pull need to come from a tracloc or can it come from open diff rig?

[turbohf]

took the hood off, by myself, and damn I rally feel like I have room to work now! such garbage that the factory hinges let the hood only come up like 20°... anyway. I got the bumper and most of the drivers fender off too. fighting with these bolts. only broke one so far. but some seem rusted in decent and others come out with little issue.

[ratcityrex]

Looks good, now get back out there and tear down more shit and start polling it in the trunk.

[highroller54]

I stared.

[turbohf]

Looks good, now get back out there and tear down more shit and start polling it in the trunk.

speaking of, I tried to open the drivers door. nope. lol sure it needs some pin/bushings but still this thing is a wet noodle on stands. not that I haven't seen it with civic/integras before (itr wasn't bad).

[ratcityrex]

Get you some weld in sub frame conectors. I put my rear on jacket ands and I put the front wheels on blocks of wood so it would be the same as sitting on the ground and then burned them in. Big difference in stiffness

[turbohf]

think I'm going to get the competition engineering bolt in rectangular ones. like how they reinforce the front spring pocket. I'll bolt them then then weld the front.

[ratcityrex]

Sounds like a solid plan. Just make sure the the cars weight is resting on the suspension like it would be if the tires were on the ground when you bolt/weld them on.

[turbohf]

oh yeah, believe it or not i have been working on this.



the 'easy' side. kind of a bitch i gotta say. i dont think this side had been off the car before. the other side has for sure. and was a bitch. some of the bolts wernt right. hell one was metric (had to grab a 10mm). some stuff was stuck/tight, others not seated but rusted/stuck. had one bolt break on that side, and had to cut one off.


space is limited, got stuff in the trunk also...start throwing shit inside next...

as far as rust goes, doesnt look like anything. rustiest spot is around the bumper brackets bolted to the rails. super rust powder buildup (bolt broke on drivers side bumper bracket). only spot of concern is a shotty repair job done previously.


moving along...


not nearly as much as i thought... knocked some more loose later tho.


liberated     btw some asscock (GM) put a bunch of industrial rivets in the bottom of the core support/suspension. didnt they know we where going to race these things out? lol.




pulled the brakes, PS ram/linkage shit, springs, really anything that looked like i could unbolt it semi easily. need to make the front end lighter for later when i take it off and cut it up.

oh and be sure to label all your hardware...

need to make sure you put it back in the right spot later... 


 

[ratcityrex]

Love it!!

[turbohf]

UPDATE!!!!



i sold the power steering ram/linkgage crap....





thats all. 





 

[turbohf]

ok, probably just me thinking out loud here, but i might push this to be done before spring with the front end shit.

installing rear end. going to pull it apart. cut 3" out of it, rebuild the tracloc (probably ford racing kit, like 95bucks), stuff another short axle in ($35). weld spring seats on. suppose to use the same length drive shaft from what i have found... about $200 total

im thinking i want to replace the rear springs. want some -2" lower ones so i dont have big ass blocks. looks like Calvert Racing has some for Nova that are -1". they are split springs? whatever that is? they list these as "race" springs? anyone know of other options out there? i dont want mine re-arched, and i want a set with locating pins (so not stock nova). calvert springs are 398bucks

Caltrac's...they are gonna happen. pretty sure... but they are listed as a drag racing part? but i would be using them to cure the same problems on the street, so? yeah. 339bucks

probably cheap out and not buy shocks.... all have noticed are drag racing shocks, and im not drag racing.

install subframe connectors. i like the competition engineering ones. i like the square tube (easy to build trans crossmemeber later) and the incorporation of the spring mount. ill buy the bolt in ones, and weld them also. 155bucks

selling this idea with the only real current problem it solves is that the narrower rear wont rub fender...that i could probably just hit with a hammer some more...

[crxvtec91]

Fuck yea!

[turbohf]

WORK!!!

went threw and unhooked a bunch more shit. unbolted the trans. got a couple driveshaft bolts out before i gave up and had to jack the car up a bit to get under it. pulled the driveshaft. unbolted the exhaust...

i have had that engine leveler thing for like 15years i think. i think that we tried to use it once? i usually just hook a chain to both sides of a engine/trans swap in a transverse car, offset the hook to the chain and yank. figured this would be a good time to try it.

got pissed as i couldnt find lift points i liked, cant reach the back of the head where there are bolt holes im sure. and figured i have seen many people use the carb plate to lift, so why not?

funny thing was my landlord comes by. he is a car guy too, has never seemed to care about me doing this shit. makes some comments/jokes and moves on usually. i ask him about this, he says "you wouldnt think so, but its fine [shrugged shoulders]" lol.. ok.


oh yeah. speedo cable and aftermarket coolant/oil pressure.... you should remove those.    actually it was easier to remove the oil pressure and coolant gauges once the engine was pulled out a bit. both are in bitch spots.


neighbor was over at the end of last weeks work, suggested that engine stand he got with a crate motor, works champ, even with the PG hanging off the back. tucked the whole thing away for later.


still have room...trying to use my space wisely.


stripped off most everything. lower arms are still there as they suck to remove (lazy). pulled the fuel/brake lines all out the way. just the steering box left i think.

havent decided on the steering box yet. probably just sawzall threw the thing to leave as much shaft as possible yet still drop the box to the garbage? i am going to be using the stock steering column for this project.


someone left this pretty little dent for me. looks like it was needed to clear the HEI distributor unit. i will need to smooth that and make it more presentable....


 

[highroller54]

What's the plan? Sbc going back in?

[turbohf]

What's the plan? Sbc going back in?

plan? yes. will it? most likely. want it going for spring. then collect parts/money threw spring/summer and pull apart again next winter.

but with vacation time i never use that i hope to get cashed out on, and tax money...i could probably buy a fair amount of shit as far as motor/trans/turbo etc. but would like to get the rear end squared away, and suspension. maybe get interior shit started too.

i dont really rush on shit like i use to. i would want to jew out my swap. then probably end up taking it all apart, buy some reinforcing shit, put it back together...that puts the car down till summer at least LOL. then its hot and i dont want to work on it.


but you have seen my builds im sure....shit will change next week. so stay tuned! lol.

 

[ratcityrex]

Take the plate off of your steering box, undo all the bolts on it and start turning your wheel. All the bearings will start falling out of it. Once they are all out, the shafts can be removed from the box. It gives you about another 4" of steering shafts to work with.

[turbohf]

SWEET. thanks. uhh more shaft to work with... 

[turbohf]

did work, not many pics...


for sale lol. seriously, make offer im throwing them away saturday.


little test fit, see how thing are going. oh and cut off rack tabs that are angled wrong.


narrowed the lower control arm mount to get lower arm all test fitted. i assume thats the left arm, they arnt marked.


thats as far as i got mangling the steering gear box... 


im tired.


 

[turbohf]

have i mentioned that i hate the orange engine probably more than the plain black engine bay?   

[ratcityrex]

Right on man. At this rate you will be done with yours b4 I'm done with mine...lol

[turbohf]

working on it.    stupid fenders are in the way, engine is in my bubble also. might run home tomorrow and grind the shit out of the other side LCA mount.... shit. i guess tack up the steering rack mounts to see if they fit too. then maybe paint it.... couple simple ass tasks, might be able to do those after work this week lol. it is kinda cold to paint, maybe ill drag it back inside and paint in spare room.


so i was thinking, do this a lot, just sit and stare at me car.... anyway. i probably should have bought fenders like weeks ago. then i could test fit them, mark the firewall so i know what to paint gray... fuck.  same goes with the oil pan, after dropping the linkage i had all the room in the world to drop the pan have a party under there... ehh.

oh yeah, "SMOKE GRAY" Rust-oleum is whats going to happen in engine bay. firewall, inner fenders, top of core support, and probably engine side of core support.... radiator and its spacer will stay black, as will outside of core support (probably leave it shitty to match the car), and frame will be black along with suspension shit... not sure on down bars, thinking gray.



 

[crxvtec91]

Fuck yea!

[turbohf]

so I scored these from buddy at work

he put some 18's on his Audi. 2 where basically bald and 2 I snagged are like 40% (good for awd car lol). he told me I could have them, but I had to dismount the whole set so he could put snow tires on. win.

these ones are 235-45-17 (245 on current pair or rears)... now, she just needs the power to roast threw these.... 

[ratcityrex]

I can't belive your car can't spin the tires...lol

[turbohf]

well. it had 235's on the back. its for 3.08's and a glide. it has a 160hp v8 from the 70's. plus couple times at a light when I wot hole shoted it, it pegged 10.0afr full rich and fell on its face lol.

that enough excuses? spins the one tire in the rain pretty good 

[highroller54]

I tried to do a brake stand in the novacorn and it stalled and didn't try again lol 

[turbohf]

shit that is worse....actually, i didnt try to do a brake stand. shit.




so lets say i have $2000 to spend. to get LSX in the Nova. i need:
engine - 500-800
trans - 200-600
hd2 - 100
driveshaft - 200?
hptuners? - 500
fuel system - 300

plus shit im forgetting (or missing from parts i bought above) - 3000

then it still has stock cam, springs, headbolts, converter... - 1600

and it still doesnt have boost - 2000


 

[crxvtec91]

I pick up a complete 5.3 for 250, th400 for 100. Might be able to get a free hx52 plus some scrap pipe.